As probably the only person in the world not in love with the Shellac manicure, I rarely make it out of the salon without a ding or a dent. So we were looking for ways to extend the life of a regular manicure, but fashionably. We tried a million different ways and finally found one we loved (while playing around with ideas for 4th of July... yep, that's a teaser!). Most manicures get sloppy in two places: chips on the end, and growing out from the nail bed, so we wanted to solve both problems, without ruining the perfection of a professional manicure. Disclaimer: in this photo, I did my nails because I like to play with polish. A lot. And I wasn't sure how the colors were going to look together. But, we love neon nails and nude nails (go figure). So, pairing them together seemed natural, to us at least. And here's the result - a super-simple way to extend a manicure, let us know what you think!Colors: RGB Doll, Sinful Colors Pink 871 (neon)

Step 1: Paint your nails in a base color and let dry. (Or wait a few days after a manicure and you need to cover up chips or growth.)

Step 2: Cut thin strips of painter's tape and make an X on each nail, making sure the centers of X on top and bottom are aligned - they don't have to be perfect, but should be close for better results. Firmly press the tape on each nail so color doesn't seep under.

Step 3: Paint your accent color (contrasting or complementary) on the top part of the nail and bottom part of the nail. Ours is neon pink, although the pictures don't do it justice! You may need 2 coats if the polish is sheer. And you could just paint the top half or the bottom half.

Step 4: Let the polish almost dry, but not completely. Carefully peel the top piece of tape off, then the bottom.

Step 5: Apply 1 or 2 coats of clear polish to seal and smooth any ridges. Voilà... another few days of a new manicure!